Birth Control Virgin - need advice on US pills...

As some of you know, I have had 2 miscarriages in the last 4 months, and had my second D&C procedure just yesterday. As part of my OB's efforts to minimize any risk of scarring after 2 D&Cs so close together, she is going to put me on birth control pills at my next visit with her (in 2 weeks) for a 3 month period. This is supposed to help thicken my uterine wall, and help my body recover from 2 very close together traumas. After those 3 months are up I will go off the pills, and then we will wait a few more months and start trying again.

I have never even in my whole life been on birth control pills, and at 28, I'm nervous! She will be putting me on a very low dose, and I'm sure she'll have her own suggestions about which pill is right for me. We will definitely be doing pills - no shots or anything - as this is only a short-term thing and intended more for uterine health than actual birth control.

So I'm looking for peoples' experience with birth control pills. What have you been on that has had the least side effects? What I'm worried about most is weight gain, so I want to avoid a pill that has a habit of making ladies fat! Tell me what you've been on and what the good & bad side effects have been... that way when I go in 2 weeks I've got a little more information, and am not going in completely blind! I'm very nervous indeed...

I was on the pill for years and gained a lot of weight. Oh, and had two kids! They just dont work well for me. I prefer non-hormonal B/C.

hi, i was on the pill for 13 years without any side effects.  I think since your doing this with your dr's advice, only for a few months, you might not notice any side effects.  Especially on a low dose.

Hi Marlespo--

When I went on BC many many years ago, the counseling nurse who did the orientation reassured us that weight gain wasn't due to the pill. Just as many college freshmen put on a few due to the new freedom to eat bad foods and a changed routine, she said many women in new steady relationships found themselves eating more and exercising less... or whatever. Maybe there's been studies that prove otherwise, but that's what they told us. I know I put on a few pounds, but it was definitely lifestyle-related.

As to what combination works best, it really depends on your body chemistry. If you trust your doc, she should be able to help determine what's best for you.

Best of luck to you and a safe, healthy recovery.

i've been using yasmin for the past couple years. it's low dose & i've had no negative side effects at all.

http://www.yasmin.com/html/index.html

prior to that, i was using ortho-novum 777, which is a higher dose, but also somehow let me conceive. that resulted in a miscarriage.

good luck to you. 

I went on the pill just before I planned my first visit to see the man who is now my husband. I used to get incredibly heavy periods, and there was no way I could have lasted the full 7 hours on the plane (I had to change my pad every hour), so I asked to be put on the pill so I could skip my period if I wanted to.

The pill has changed my life.  I now get light-medium, normal periods and I can do whatever I want when I have my period. (I am like one of those tampon adverts where they show the girl out dancing all night, secure as she's wearing her tampon) Before the pill, I was pretty much out of commission the entire time I had my period. Not only because of having to change my pad all the time, but because I was anemic as well.

The pill has made me gain weight, but I was thin to begin with so now I'm just normal weight.  It also has made my boobs much larger. The weight gain is not a lifestyle change as I'm getting more exercise now than I was before and my eating habits are just as healthy. You will have to experiment with which pill is right for you.  The pill does change the way your body metabolises fat.

I've been on a few different pills.  I did notice that I gained weight in my boobs, but you'll never realy notice the average 5 lbs they say you gain.  I prefered Demulin, but it went genaric a few years back and I didn't like the generic blend (kept having break through bleeding).  Also, my mood swings  were never any better on the mult-phasic ones. 

I was on Mircette for about 5 years with minimal side effects -- that's a low dose tri-phasic pill.  So you have 3 weeks of hormones (white pills), 2 days without hormones (green pills) and 5 days of a lesser strength hormones (yellow pills).  After that, you start a new pack.  I had my moody moments, but mostly, it was nice to have only 2 days off the hormones, as opposed to longer, which you get with other pills.

I was on Ortho-Tricycline for awhile, but it ended up causing me to have migraines the week before my period. It was a hormonal thing I guess, but after thinking I had a brain tumor after so many migraines I decided not to try another pill. Sorry I can't help much but I have heard friends say good things about Yasmin too.

I also took Ortho-Tricycline when I was on the pill.  I actually lost weight when I started taking it.  Again I had to stop taking the pill alltogether because of headaches, but that was after trying several different kinds here in the UK, so nothing specifically bad about Ortho-Tricycline.

Hi Marlespo,

I am so sorry that you have suffered two (didn't know about the 2nd one). 

I was on the pill (a low dose) in my 20's and never had a problem. No weight gain and it actually helped reduce my terrible cramps.

Since you will only be on it a few months, I am sure you will be fine! Sounds like you are in very good hands with your doctor.

Wish I could help, but the last time I was on birth control pills, women weren't really paying attention to their different brand names! 

i have been on ortho-tri-cylcen in the states.  no problem but minor (5lb) weight game.  went on mircette- a low dose pill- had breakthrough bleeding for 2 months.  then went on trinodial- trileven (one is generic- other isn't- can't remember which one is which).  happy- no bleeding, or weight gain.

no on patch- easy as pie and a slight weight drop.

I didn't like ortho tri-cyclen that much - for some reason it exacerbated my mood swings (though because it's cyclical it's not supposed to do that. It seems like it was probably to do with estrogen levels and so I switched to Trilevlen (which I believe is a low estrogen cyclical one) which I absolutely loved - it made me feel the most normal out of all the ones I've tried (and I've tried a lot!)

Ortho tri cyclen made me gain weight several years ago and caused major mood swings. Yasmin was okay, but my mouth was always dry as it dehydrates you to prevent water weight gain. I find monophasic (same level of hormones throughout the month) works best for me, because I'm not nearly as moody and NO weight gain. I'm on Microgynon 30 in the UK, which is the equivalent of Sprintec 28 in the US. Highly recommended.